Mechanism for checking concurrently operating accumulating and printing devices



19.49. 0. B. SHAFER 2,475,340

MECHANISM FOR CHECKING CONCURRENTLY OPERATING ACCUMULATING AND PRINTINGDEVICES Filed Dec. 13, 1947 6 Sheets-Sheet 1 INSULATION .lE-..l.

I, f; 4 I? 3" a I 18 o l I INVENTOR 0.5. SHAFER ATTORNEY j July 5, 1949.o. B. SHAFER 2,475,340

MECHANISM FOR CHECKING CONCURRENTLY OPERATING ACCUMULATING AND PRINTINGDEVICES 6 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Dec. '15, 1947 w A G n; 5:8 Y.

INVENTOR O. B SH AFER ATTORNEY O. B. SHAFER MECHANISM FOR CHECKINGCONCURRENTLY OPERATING ACCUMULATING AND PRINTING DEVICES 6 Sheets-Sheet3 Filed Dec. 13, 1947 INVENTOR O. B; SHAF'ER BY z ATTORNE II 11 ,l 1/

o. B. SHAFER 2,475,340 MECHANISM FOR CHECKING CONCURRENTLY OPERATINGACCUMULATING AND PRINTING DEVICES I Filed Dec. 13, 1947 6 Sheets-Sheet 4.July 5, 1949.

CARD SENSING 0,42 I M PULS TYPE TYPE 7 BAR BAQ REST.

c9 (9 Accum. 8 WHEELS 7 TURN 6 5 ADD 4 3 2 1 L0 (9 .ACCUM. 8 wneas 7TURN 6 4 5 (sun) 4 v 3 k C49 cs1 EM I INVENTQR 0.8.SHAFER ATTORNEY Jul5, 1949.

o. B. SHAFER 2,475,340 IECHANISM FOR CHECKING CONCURRENTLY OPERATINGACGUMULA'I'ING AND PRINTING DEVICES FilQd'DOC. 13, 1947 -6 Sheets-Sheet6 INVENTOR o. a, SHAFER BY ACCUMULATE ATTORNEY Patented July 5, 1949MECHANISM FOR CHECKING CONCUR- RENTLY OPERATING ACCUMULATING ANDPRINTING DEVICES Orville B. Shafer, Owego, N. Y., assignor toInternational Business Machines Corporation, New York, N. Y., acorporation of New York Application December 13, 1947, Serial No.791,480

4 Claims. 1

The present invention relates to record controlled accounting machinesand more particularly to verifying or checking devices embodied therein.

The principal object of the invention is to provide an improved checkingmechanism for checking the operation of a pair of separately drivendifferential devices in the machine for the purpose of verifying thatthey maintain a predetermined relative synchronization.

A more specific object of the invention is to provide an improvedchecking mechanism controlled in part by a printing device and in partby an accumulating device to insure that the differential positioning ofthe one device for a given value corresponds to the differentialpositioning of the other for the same value.

Other objects of the invention will be pointed out in the followingdescription and claims and illustrated in the accompanying drawings,which disclose, by way of example, the principle of the invention andthe best mode, which has been contemplated, of applying that principle.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a central section of a well known type of accounting machineshowing the relative location of the printing and accumulating deviceswith which the invention is concerned, and their operatinginstrumentalities.

Fig. 2 is a detail View of a contact device associated with theaccumulator for carrying out the objects of the invention.

Fig. 3 is an enlarged view of a contact device associated with the typebar for carrying out the objects of the invention.

Fig. 4 is a detail view looking in the direction of lines 44 of Fig. 3.

Fig. 5 is a detail view of a denominational order of the accumulatorshowing the application of checking contacts thereto.

. Fig. 6 is a detail of the accumulating unit clutch mechanism.

Fig. 7 is a time chart showing the relative periods of movement of thetype bar and accumulator for one cycle of operation.

Figs. 8, 9 and 10 are enlarged parts of the time chart to illustratespecific checking conditions.

Fig. 11 is a simplified wiring diagram of the apparatus.

The type of accounting machine to which the invention is applied isshown generally in Fig. 1 and is similar to the machine shown in Patents1,909,549 and 1,914,285 granted on May 16, 1933, and June 13, 1933,respectively, with theimproved,

2 form of accumulating mechanism disclosed in Patent 2,165,288, grantedon July 11, 1939.

A brief description will first be given of the construction andoperation of such a machine and thereafter it will be explained how thedevices of the invention have been incorporated therein.

The printing mechanism Referring to Fig. 1, the main drive shaft I0 issuitably driven from a motor (not shown) and through gearing I I drivesshaft l2 Which has bevel gear connection with a vertical shaft l3. Thisshaft in turn has bevel gear connections with horizontal shafts I4 whichmake one revolution per cycle of the machine. A clutch mechanismgenerally designated I 5 controlled by a clutch magnet It causesconnection of shaft [1 to the main shaft l0 through the gearingdesignated 18. This shaft H carries the cams which operate the printingsection of the machine in which type bars iii are reciprocated past aplaten 20 and may be interrupted at difierential times during an upwardmovement by stop pawls 2| tripped under control of print magnets 22.After all the type bars have been positioned, printing hammers 23 aretripped to take an impression.

The machine is provided with the usual card feeding mechanism, which isdiagrammatically represented in Fig. 11 and includes feed rollers 24driven in unison with the printing devices to move a record card 25 pasta row of sensing brushes LB and cooperating contact roller 26. Therecord card is provided with the usual columns of perforation receivingindex positions in each of which a digit may be represented by aperforation in the correspondingly numbered position.

When a hole is encountered by brush LB, a circuit is completed from leftside of line 21, through usual card lever contacts CLC (closed onlywhile a card traverses brushes LB), contact roller 26, hole in the card,brush LB, connection 28 and print magnet 22 to right side of line 29.Magnet 22 when thus energized will trip related stop pawl 21 (Figs. 1and 3) to engage a tooth 30 on type bar is which will stop the bar inposition to print the digit corresponding to the hole sensed. Thus, asillustrated in Fig. 3, the tripping of pawl 2| has engaged the 9 tooth30 to position bar 19 to print a 9.

It will be noted from Fig. 1 that the type bar actuating mechanismcomprises a restoring ball 3! pivoted at 32, which is rocked clockwiseand as it does so spring 33 will rock a lever 34 also pivoted at 32 sothat the type bar which is connected to the left end of lever 34 will beraised by the spring action. Thus, when a tooth is intercepted by pawl2|, the actuating spring 33 will yield while bail 3| continues itsmovement.

In the time chart (Fig. 7), there is represented the relative. timing.of the parts necessary for an understanding: of the present invention.The periods during which the card perforations are sensed are indicatedalong the upper line labeled Card sensing impulse. The horizontal linesrepresent the extent of movement. of a type bar which is representedseparately for-eachof the digits. Thus, it is noted that at thebeginning of the cycle the type barbegins. to-rise and,, if for examplea 9 hole is sensed, the movement: of the type bar is interrupted betweenthe 9 and 8 times in the cycle denoting, a so-called mechanical lag oflittle more than a half cycle point. This lag provides the necessaryclearance (see Fig. 3) to enable pawl 2! to snap into interceptingposition prior to the arrival of the selected tooth at the stoppingposition.

The. foregoing explains briefly the well-known type bar selectinmechanism. For the purposes of. the present. invention, type. bar l9 hassecured thereto a. bracket35 (Figs..1.and.3) from which is suspended aspring blade 31' and contact slide 38. In the plane of. slide 38 is aninsulating panel 39 in which three multi-pronged plates 40, 4| and 42are moulded and insulated from one another. The prongs all terminate inthe common plane traversed by slide 38- and are spaced as shown in Fig.4. The arrangement is such that with the type bar in any of its"stopping positions, slide 38 will connect a prong ofplate 4ll'with awider prong of plate 41'. Withthe type' bar in positions intermediatesuch stopping positions, slide 38 will connect a prong of plate 42 witha wider prong of plate- 4 i.

In effect, the slide and pronged plate arrangement constitutes a contactalternating device wherein, whenever a type bar is ina "stop" position,contacts 41, are closed and, whenever the type bar is in an intermediateposition,

contacts 4|, 42 are closed. These conditions are diagrammaticallyrepresented in Fig. 7' for each digital stoppingcondition. Thus,considering the type bar advancing toits 9 stopping position, contacts40 4W first close at a special asterisk stopping position (not hereinconcerned), thenthey open and contacts 41, 42' close midway between theasterisk and 9' positions, and finally at the 9-' position contacts 49,4| reclose. Since theba-ri'sinterruptedat 9', contacts 40, 4| remainclosed throughout the remainder of the upstroke of the printingmechanism.

Similarly, for the other digits contacts 40, 4|- and 4|, 42 alternate inclosure until the bar is interrupted for a particular digit when 49, 4|remain closed. During the return of the bars, the contacts reverse theiroperation, but they are inefiect'ive during such period as no currentsupplied thereto.

The accumulator Referring to Figs. 1 and 5, there is a gear 44 on shaftl4 for. each. denominational order of the accumulator which drives. agear 45 on post 46, so as to makeone revolution for each cycle ofoperation of the machine. The gear 45 drives. a clutch. element 41.having teeth facing a driven clutch element. 48 (Fig. 6),. whichelements lie normally in parallel. planes. and heldapart. by the usual;spring device.w Located. to one. side of element 4;! is abeyel'ed. disk49 carried by bell crank. [15:

50 which is normally latched in the position of Fig. 5 by armature 5| ofmagnet 52.

Referring to Fig. 11, magnet 52 is energized concurrently with printmagnet 22 through a parallel circuit from brush LB, connection 53, aswitch 54 (closed for adding, operations), and magnet 52 to line 29.Energization of magnet 52 will release bell crank 50 so that springaction will rock disk 49 against the driving element 41 to tilt it asshown in Fig. 6 into driving engagement with element 48, whereby thelatter will be driven until a knock-out cam 55 disengages the clutch ata fixed point in the cycle.

In Fig- '7, lines 56. represent periods in a cycle during which thedriven element 48 is rotated tor each of the digits during addingoperations. Following this, there is the usual tens carry ad- Vance(when required) represented by lines 56a.

Subtraction of an amount is carried out by initially tripping theaccumulator clutch at a point corresponding to a 9. hole impulse anddisengaging it under control of the hole in the. card to in effectadvance the wheel in accordance with the 9s complement of the digitsubtracted.

As diagrammatically represented in Fig. 11', switches 51' and 58 areclosed for a subtracting operation so that. when cam contacts C9 close(see Fig. 7)., start magnet 52 is energized and the element 48' startsto turn. as though for a 9 entry; As the brush LB now senses the cardcolumn, the print magnet circuit to magnet. 22 is' paralleled by acircuit from brush connection 53, switch 51,, and stop magnet 59 tolinev 29; In Fig; 5, magnet 59 attracts its armature 60, releasing alever 6| which through a pin 62 will rock bell crank 50 back to itsuncoupling position. In the case of a 9 hole, the magnets 52 and 59 areconcurrently energized and prevent any coupling action; sothat theelement 48 remains at rest.

In Fig. 7', the rota-ti've' period's of element 48 for subtracting:operation are indicated by lines 63 It'i's' to be: particularly notedthat for adding the point at which the type bar is stopped for a givendigit coincides substantially withvthe-point at. which: element 48starts rotating and. that for subtraction the point" at which thetypebar is stopped for a given digit coincides substantially with the-pointatwhichthe; rotation of element 48 is stopped.

Element 48: has secured? thereto the usual detent wheel 65 provided:with teeth. 66 between which a pawl 61 engages when: the wheel is atrest to. hold the-wheel in: position, and for each unit entry the wheel-65- is-v advanced one tooth.

For the purposes of the present. invention, a lever 68-ispivoteda-bovewheel. 65- and provided with a roller 69, which when. thewheel is at rest liesbetween a-.pair of adjacent. teeth 66 as. shown in.Fig. 51. The lever hasconnection with acon-- tact blade 10 to hold itagainstcontact. [2 in this positiom, bein biased by ablade spring 13.With the wheel in motion, teeth: 66. will rock leperv 68: to lower.contact: 10 into: engagement with a. contact 1.1.. closure will ocicurg.as is apparent, intermediate. the successive stopping positions oitheewheel.

In Fig. 7 the lines-T9, 11-2. represent the contact. condition! withthe. accumulating wheel at; rest or at a stopping position, while lines10, 'H- represent the condition with. the; wheel in motion between:successive: stopping, positions.

As-shown in-.Fig;. 1-1,.contacts 1i and ll-are wired. to switches. l4,1.5 which area in. full line position for adding. and. in dotted lineposition. for. subs 'tracting. Contacts 10, 1|, 12 and 40, 4|, 42 areshown for two type bars and two accumulator wheels, with the contacts 4|of one set connected by wire 16 to contacts of the next. The left handcontacts 10 are connected to line 21 through cam controlled contacts C49which close repeatedly at points in the cycle, as shown in 7, coincidingwith the points in the cycle at which the type bars and accumulatingwheels should be in positions intermediate their stopping positions.

Checking while adding From the foregoing and as is well known, duringadding operations type bar stopping and accumulator wheel starting arecoincidental. Through the checking contacts, a test is made undercontrol of contacts C49 to ascertain whether such conditions obtains andis maintained throughout the entering period of the cycle.

Tracing of a particular example will best disclose the manner ofchecking, and it will be assumed that there is an 8 hole in the cardcolumns. At the beginning of the cycle, the type bar begins to rise,first closing contacts 40. 4| (Fig. 7, line 8) and then 4|, 42 (at the 9point in the cycle). At this point, wheel contacts 10, 12 are stillclosed and, when contacts C49 close at 9, a circuit is traceable fromline 21 (Fig. 11), contacts C49, contacts 10, 12, switch l5, wire 42a tothe plate 42 which is connected through slide 38 to plate 4|, wire H5,contacts 10, I2 and switch 15 of the next column, and (assuming likeconditions for this column) the circuit continues through wire 18 to armill of an emitter EM which contacts segments 89 at times indicated inFig, 7. At present, the circuit extends through the 9 segment 80, wire8!, grid resistor 82 to the grid of the 9 thyratron 83, and branchesthrough resistor 84 to negative side of a C source of current. Thyratrontube 83 is thus ignited and a circuit extends from line 21,

through contacts C51, the 9 relay magnet 85, plate circuit of 9 tube 83to line 29, opening the a contacts of 9 magnet 65 to hold them openuntil contacts Cal open near the end of the cycle (Fig. 7).

When the type bars reach the point between the 9 and 8 stoppingpositions, when contacts C49 again close a similar circuit is againcompleted through other prongs of plates 42, 4| and the 8 segment all ofemitter EM to fire the 8 tube 83 and energize the 8 magnet 85, so thatits contacts a also open.

Before the next closure of contacts C49, the 8 impulse from the cardholes will have energized the print magnets 22 and start magnets 52 asexplained. When contacts C49 close at the 7 cycle point, contacts 49, 4|will be bridged and contacts 19, 1| will be closed, thereby completing acircuit from line 2'1, contacts C49, contacts 10, l I, switch 14, wire49a, plate 49, slide 38 and plate 4i (in the 8 type bar position), wire16, then similarly through the next column, wire 1%, arm 19, 7 segment89 and 7 wire 8| to fire '7 tube 83 and energize 7 magnet 85 opening itsa contacts.

For each of the subsequent closures of contacts C49, a like circuit willbe repeated to in succession energize the 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1 and 0 magnets85 (some of which are not shown in Fig. 11), so that they will have beenopened during the testing period. The 05 contacts are wired in parallelto complete an initial circuit (when current is placed on lines 2'1, 29)from line 21, a contacts of magnets 85, relay magnet Bl, and switch 88to line 29. Thus, magnet 8'! is deenergized when the last a contact ofmagnet 85 opens and later, when contacts C52 close (Fig. 7) they will beineffective since the circuit therethrough will be open at the bcontacts of magnet 87.

It may be mentioned at this point that failure of any magnet to pick upduring the testing period will leave its 0: contacts closed and magnet8'! energized at the time of closure of contacts C52 and, therefore, acircuit will become completed from line 21, contacts C52, b contacts ofmagnet 81, magnet 89, and signal lamp to line 29. Magnet 89 will closeits 0 contacts to provide a holding circuit through switch 9|, so thatthe lamp 9!] will remain lighted at the end of the cycle. In the oversimplified circuit diagram, the test indication is illustrated asconstituting a lamp, but it will be obvious that other currentresponsive devices may be utilized in an automatic machine, for example,to interrupt card feeding operations.

Let us assume now a condition wherein, due to some mechanicaldifficulty, such as binding of the type bar at the'start, it is retardedso that in response to the sensing of an 8 hole in the card the stoppawl 2| catches the 9 tooth 3| in the bar and stops it in the 9position, but that the 8 impulse from the card initiates the accumulatorwheel rotation at the proper time. The condition of the various contactsfor this assumed condition is represented in Fig. 8 from which it isseen that at the 9 test time contacts H3, 12 and 4|, 42 are both closed,completing the circuit through the 9 segment 89 of the emitter to firethe 9 tube 83 and energize the 9 magnet 85.

However, at the 8 test time, the accumulator wheel is still at rest andthe type bar is also r stopped, so that contacts l9, l2 and 40, 4| areclosed. The test circuit from line 21, contacts C49, l9, l2, switch 15,wire 42a will be open at the plate 42, since the slide 38 is nowbridging plates 40, 4| and consequently the 8 magnet 85 will not beenergized. Later, when contacts C52 close, the error signal lamp 98 willbe lighted.

Let us assume as a further example that, in response to sensing a 9hole, the accumulator Wheel started rotating correctly, but due to somemechanical failure such as wear on the stop pawl or breaking of itsspring, the type bar was not interrupted but continued to rise. Thiscondition is illustrated in Fig. 9 where again at the 9 test timecontacts I0, 12 as well as 4|, 42 are closed to complete the circuit forenergization of the 9 magnet 85. However, at the 8 and '7 times contacts10, 1| are closed together with contacts 4|, 42 thus effecting a circuittransposition, wherein no circuit is completed to the correspondingmagnets 85 and as a result the error is indicated by lamp 90.

Inspection will show that for any other situation in which the type barand wheel are both in motion or both at rest at a testing point in thecycle, an error will be indicated.

Checking while subtracting For subtracting operations, switches 14, 15(Fig. 11) are shifted to their dotted line positions to reverse thecircuit connections, inasmuch as explained the type bar and wheelinitially advance together and stop together. Since as seen from Fig. 7the wheel does not start until after the 9 time in the cycle, the testat the 9 time is disabled and this is effected by the setting of switch92 (Fig. 11) in its dotted line position, so that the contacts of the 9magnet 85 become ineffective.

Fig. 10 illustrates a condition during subtraction, wherein in responseto an 8 card impulse the type bar stopped correctly but the accumulatorapt-c 40 continued to.- turn. At the 9' test time, no; test circuit iscompleted to the 9 magnet 85 (but its contacts are cut out of theparallelv circuit, so this has no effect). At the 8 test time, a circuitis completed to the 8magnet85, since contacts 10, 'H and M, 4-2 are bothclosed. The circuit is traceable from line 21, contacts C49, 10, H,switch 14 (shifted), wire 42a to the plate 42, slide 38, plate 4! andwire 16 through the next column (if correctly, synchronized) to the 8tube 83. At the 7 test time, contacts 10, H are closed but 4|, 42 areopen and the circuit is thus incomplete, leaving the 7 magnet 85deenergized, so its. a contacts will keep magnet 81 energized andindicate an error.

By thus providing a repeated check between type bar and accumulatingwheel positions, there is assurance that the digit printed representsthe value of the digit entered into the accumulator and any failure ofeither device will be immediately detected, so that the cause thereofmay be promptly remedied.

While there have been shown and described and pointed out thefundamental novel features of the invention as applied to a singlemodification, it will be understood that various omissions andsubstitutions and changes in the form and details of the deviceillustrated and in its operation may be made by those skilled in the artwithout departing from the spirit of the invention. It is the intentiontherefore to be limited only as indicated by the scope of the followingclaims.

What is claimed is:

1. In a cyclically operable accounting machine having a type bar, meansfor moving said bar from a rest position through a succession ofstopping positions, means for stopping the bar at a selected position,an accumulator wheel, means for initiating and effecting rotation of thewheel from a rest position, means for interrupting said rotation at afixed point in the cycle and control means for concurrently operatingsaid type bar stopping means and said accumulating wheel rotationinitiating means, in combination witha set of contacts adjusted by thetype bar in one manher. when, the bar is. at any of its stoppingpositions and in another manner when the bar is in.- termediate anysuccessive. stopping positions, a second set of contacts adjusted bysaid wheel in one manner when the wheel. is at any of its. stoppingpositions. and in another manner when the wheel is. intermediate anysuccessive stopping positions, a circuit path including said sets ofcontacts, said contacts being interconnected to partially complete saidpath whenever the bar is at. a stopping position and the wheel isconcurrently at an intermediate position or whenever the bar is at anintermediate position and the wheel is. at

a stopping position, means for completing the circult path at apredetermined point in the cycle and current responsive means includedin the circuit and operable therethrough at said cycle point only if thepath is. partially completed at such point by the said contacts.

2. The invention set forth in claim 1, in which the means for completingthe circuit is render d repeatedly effective at each of a plurality ofsu cessiye points in the cycle to energize the current responsive deviceat each point at which the path is partially completed by said contacts.

3; In a cyclically operable accounting machine having a type bar, meansfor moving said bar from a rest position through a succession ofstopping positions, means for stopping the bar at a selected position,an accumulator wheel, means for initiating and efiecting rotation of thewheel from a rest position, means for interrupting said rotation at afixed point in the cycle and control means for concurrently operatingsaid type bar stopping means and said accumulating wheel rotationinitiating means, in combination with. a device for testing therelative, positions of the bar and Wheel at a predetermined point in thecycle of operaton, an error indicator, and means controlled by saiddevice for operating said error indicator if both the bar and wheel are.in their stopped positions at said predetermined point in the cycle.

4. In a cyclically operable accounting machine having a type bar, meansfor moving said bar from a rest position through a succession ofstopping positions, means for stopping the bar at a selected position,an accumulator wheel, means for initiating and effecting rotation of thewheel from a rest position, means for interrupting said rotation at afixed point in the cycle and control means for concurrently operatingsaid type bar stopping means and said accumulating wheel rotationinitiating means in combination with a device for testing the relativepositions of the bar and wheel at a predetermined point in the cycle ofoperation, an error indicator, and means controlled by said device foroperating said error indicator if both the bar and wheel are in motionat said predetermined point in the cycle.

ORVILLE B. SHAFER.

REFERENCES CITED UNITED STATES PATENTS Name Date Pierce May 7, 1940Number

